Investigate the Uninvestigatable
by Leon Sage
Summary: Carlos has heard about the stories of Night Vale and the unexplained occurrences that has surrounded the town. So when he gets the chance to investigate the town, he literally falls off his chair with excitement. But is he going to find the wonderful things he'd been dreaming of? Will he ever get an answer to why he was born the way he was?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Lights in the Sky.**

"_There are lights in the sky; there is a scent of excitement in the air. Something is about to change, dear listeners. Welcome… to Night Vale." _

Carlos rolled his eyes as his jeep bounced up and down as it hit a rock and sighed. The radio had been stuck on static for most of the hour and when he finally gets a station going, this is what he has to put up with? Some weirdo telling him that there's lights in the sky? "Try stars, genius," Carlos says sarcastically to the radio and he sighs again, looking out his windshield at the infinite vastness of the desert before him.

"Can you believe we left the city for this, Doc?" Steve, the technician says as he chews on his ever present toothpick. Carlos smiles and leans his head on the glass of the passenger seat. "You jumped at the offer, Steve, not me," Carlos said with a smile and Steve laughed as he avoided another rock, making Carlos' head bang against the window. "Sorry, boss," he said apologetically, then smirked, "Yeah, I jumped at the offer. You on the other hand, practically teleported to the big boss' side when you heard the words "Night" and "Vale" in the same sentence."

The two men shared a laugh at the memory of Carlos literally falling out of his seat when the offer to investigate Night Vale had come up. He'd heard about this small dustbowl of a town, of course. It was the Michelangelo's David, it was a masterpiece of the paranormal and anyone who's read about even the smallest hint of strange would know about Night Vale. The conspiracies about the place ranged from aliens to government cover ups, each more absurd as the last. No one ever knew which to believe and Carlos had faith that he'd be able to bring light to this big question mark.

So he and his trusty technician Steve, along with two other scientists had gathered up their gear, piled into Steve's huge jeep and were headed to Night Vale. Steve and the other two scientists were scheduled to be there for just under two months, but since Carlos had neither family nor permanent residence anywhere other than the backseat of his unmercifully small car, he'd signed up for a year and had even gotten a place to stay. _Good things come to those who wait, _he had told himself as he wiped tears away when he got the keys to his first apartment above the laboratory they had rented out.

Science pays, but it doesn't pay much when you're researching the paranormal.

Carlos looked outside the window again and up at the stars glistening in the night sky. _Maybe I can get some answers about me too; _he thought to himself and suddenly sat up. "What is it, boss?" Steve asked, glancing sideways and Carlos pushed his glasses further up his nose until it hurt. "I swear I just saw one of the stars move," Carlos said and Steve laughed. "Sure boss, Mercury and Venus are on a date," he said and shook his head. Carlos turned and looked at the man, a little hurt that he didn't believe him. "I know what I saw," Carlos said and turned back to the sky, saying softly, "I know what I saw."

Steve shook his head and smiled, "Maybe it's cause we're coming up on Night Vale now, huh? So the weird starts happening now." Carlos looked back at him and Steve nudged his chin outward, "There." Carlos looked out the window and gasped, quickly rolling down the window and sticking his head out, not caring that his hair would look like it got struck by lightning later on.

"Night Vale," Carlos breathed and stared at the lights of the approaching town in wonder. It looked like any other small town, the low buildings and exposed stone wall shops. It looked like the perfectly quaint picture of American living in the 1950s and as they passed the boundary of the town, Carlos noticed something. Something… some… thing…

He put his head back in and looked at Steve. Steve glanced at him and laughed, "What? Did you see the Flying Dutchman?" he asked jokingly and Carlos scrambled to turn on the radio. "Hey, hey, careful!" Steve said as Carlos turned the radio dial, frantically searching for the radio station they were tuned into previously.

"_Remember, Night Vale, we are not who we think we are. Goodnight, Night Vale. Goodnight." _

Carlos stared at the radio as the show's music began to play and he sat back in his seat. Steve looked over at him, a little concerned, "You okay boss?" Carlos ran a hand through his hair and swallowed saliva to wet his throat. "Y-You know how he said there were lights in the sky?" Carlos said softly and Steve nodded.

Carlos turned to Steve, a little wide eyed. "He wasn't talking about the stars, after all."

Away at the radio station, Cecil set down his headphones and smiled proudly to himself. He got up from his chair, grabbing the cup of tea he'd made for himself and walked through the office, giving wide berth to station management and he went outside to look at the lights in the sky. He smiled to himself and sipped his tea.

"The lights are beautiful, aren't they?" a voice came from the side and Cecil turned to see old woman Josie smiling up at the sky too. "Yes, they are," he said, turning back to the sky. Tonight, it was a brilliantly deep taupe, the lights in the sky contrasting it with its striking green hues. "How are the angels?" Cecil asked and Josie smiled knowingly. "They're fine, thank you," she said and reached up, patting Cecil on the arm.

Cecil crouched down so that Josie could whisper in his ear, something not unusual for the old woman. She leaned close to him and said with her unmistakably angelic-influence growl, "He is coming." Cecil leaned away and looked at Josie, confused at what she had said. "I beg your pardon?" he said, but Josie smiled at him again and patted his face. "The angels tell me that you may or may not die in the next few days. So do be careful, dear. And come by my house for some cookies if you're still alive," she said and Cecil shook his head, a small smile shadowing his face. "I will, Josie," he said and stood up, "Will you be alright walking home alone?"

Josie looked up at the pale male with white hair and laughed, "Oh, Cecil, you know that I'm never alone."

Just then a jeep drove past the radio station and Josie and Cecil looked at the jeep. Inside the jeep, Cecil saw a man look directly at him and Cecil swallowed, suddenly curious. "I wonder who that could be," he said and turned to look at Josie, but all he saw was a single white feather dipped in what looked like blood.

Cecil rolled his eyes and picked up the feather which burst into flames and disintegrated in his hand. "Always dramatic," he said and looked up at the sky.

_The lights are beautiful tonight._


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Bye Steve**

Carlos stared up at the sky, the lights hovering above peacefully. He was leaning against the side of Steve's jeep, trying to mentally calculate the properties, length, width, consistency and height of the lights. He couldn't fathom it – how there could be lights floating, by his estimate, a few kilometers above the town and how no one was even lifting an eyebrow at it. Steve walked back to the jeep, glancing nervously up at the lights then back at Carlos.

"Still staring at the lights, boss?" he asked and Carlos took off his glasses, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "I just can't even begin to understand those things," he said and turned to Steve, "I mean, they're LIGHTS, SUSPENDED FREELY above a town and NO ONE seems to care!" Steve shrugged, as stumped as Carlos was. "I asked the guy round by the pizza shop, Rico? He said that the lights come and go as they please. Haven't hurt, abducted, dismembered or devoured anyone or anything, so the folks just let them be," Steve explained and Carlos shook his head. "This town is a big question mark," he said and Steve agreed.

Carlos lugged his suitcase up to the highest floor of the laboratory living quarters, a mere six flights of stairs. Although he didn't have a closet-full of clothes or personal affects, what made his upward journey a task was the fact that he was also carrying a huge box of scientific equipment. He fumbled a little with the key to the door, but when he finally managed to get the door open, he stood at the doorway and forgot about the lights in the sky.

He was standing in a sizeable room with all the amenities he'd need, including a huge bed. When he flipped on the light switch, he smiled and set down the box on a table and his luggage at the foot of his bed. He turned around and sighed happily and dropped onto the bed, burying his head in the mattress.

"Enjoying yourself?" a voice came and Carlos jumped, scrambling to the head of the bed, staring wildly around. "Who's there?" he said, not being able to see anyone there. "Are you enjoying yourself or not?" the voice came and he gulped, "Y-Yeah, sure." "Good, good," the voice said, "Do you know who I am?" Carlos shook his head slowly, and the voice said in a loud voice, "Answer me!" Carlos jumped a bit but closed his eyes and steeled himself. "No, I don't," he said and the voice laughed. "It's me, Steve!" the voice said and Carlos looked around incredulously.

"Steve?" he said hesitating a little, "Where are you?" "Up here," the voice said and when Carlos looked up, his blood almost froze over. Steve was there alright, but Steve was _floating _above him. "Steve?!" Carlos shouted and pressed himself against the mattress. Steve laughed and spun around in mid air. "Looks like I died, boss," he said happily and Carlos' mouth hung open. "HOW?!" he said softly and Steve shrugged. "I went into my room and turned on the lights, but there was this black thing there and I think it swallowed me. And here I am now," he said and grinned.

Carlos slowly let that sink in and reached a trembling hand up to Steve's chest, but his hand passed through and Steve laughed. "Hey don't, it tickles!" he said and Carlos gasped. "Steve you're DEAD, how are you even feeling ANYTHING?" Carlos exclaimed and Steve shrugged. "Hey, I JUST died, give me a few hundred years to figure these things out, huh?" he said and Carlos slowly moved off his bed, setting his feet down on the ground slowly.

He got up and Steve floated down, following Carlos then he stopped. "Hey boss, I think I have to go," he said and Carlos turned around. "What?" he said and Steve looked upward, "I think I have to go." Steve looked down to Carlos who's eyes were misting over and he smiled at Carlos. "Ah boss, don't cry, huh? You're better than that," he said and Carlos sniffed. "Wait, let me get a picture of you," Carlos said and Steve shook his head. "Anything for science," he said and waited as Carlos got his camera out and aimed it at Steve.

Carlos clicked the picture and the Polaroid that was produced was Steve, translucent and grinning, his hand raised in a peace sign and Carlos smiled at the picture before he looked up at Steve, but he was alone in the room. Carlos slumped down onto the floor and a tear slide down his face. "Bye Steve," he said and set the picture down on the floor.

"What the hell is happening in this town," he said to himself and looked up at the ceiling.


End file.
